In Each Other's Shoes
by Blackfluffy
Summary: Imagine if Darcy was in Elizabeth's position; poor, with a matchmaking and rude mother and a doped father Imagine if Elizabeth was the snooty lawyer who deeply offended 'Georgina' Wickham? A modern retake of P&P with a completely different twist. READ!
1. Chapter 1

Modern P&P

Modern P&P

(With a bit of a twist)

In Each Other's Shoes

Will Darcy tired by his mother's endless prattling had left the family arguing in the living room and had gone to bed.

From his bedroom window he could see a long way, across Plumstead the town he lived in, across Sidcup and right down to the big city of London. He could see the lights flickering across the city.

"Marlowe House, Canary Wharf" he muttered to himself as he saw the sights; although he lived in the suburbs, he lived right at the top of Plum Lane, a very hilly road. He could see for miles.

He looked across to the big house that loomed out of all the others on the other side of the town.

He'd christened it 'Haunted Mansion' once, but he'd long forgotten the name. Tonight, though, it all came flooding back. It had once been alive and full of people. Twelve years ago, when he was just twelve, a family called the Gardiners had rented the house for a summer.

He could still remember the cousin, a pretty girl with dark brown hair and stunning deep brown eyes that turned black when she was angry, and how much they'd played together that summer. The girl he'd befriended who was exactly 1 year his junior, they became fast friends over discovering they had the same birthdate.

Her face was beginning to fade from his memory, and he only vaguely remembered her as being called Ellie, but her slightly snobby manner and beautiful way of carrying herself, as well as her sharp-as-a-needle with was still clear in his mind.

"I wonder what she grew up to be?" he wondered to himself, blushing still as he remembered that she was the first girl he had ever kissed. It had been a disaster of a kiss, but she was so shy and sweet and he still remembered her words

"Let's marry when we grow up, Will?"

He'd firmly agreed and they had begun planning their future and deciding on the number of children they would have. At the end of the summer they'd promised to write, but slowly they lost contact.

Something caught Will's eye and broke his reverie. The lights were being turned on in Netherfield hall. It was no longer dark and gloomy, and Will could see figures moving around the windows.

"Mum!" he called "Netherfield House has either been burgled or has finally got a family moving in!"

His mother charged into his room, knocking aside his laundry basket over and waving so wildly she nearly knocked his stereo off its shelf.

"Kenneth" she screeched after seeing the lights "Netherfield Park is let at last!"

(24 hours later)

"Georgina?!" Will winced at the harsh tone in his mother's voice when she spoke to his little sister "Get down here now. I want you to go out for me"

"Where mum?" Georgina arrived at the door smirking "I'll bet you want me to go up to Netherfield Park and pretend I've lost a ball?"

"Well? What if I do?" her mother snapped

"Mum" Georgina said winking at Will "Netherfield is a whole mile from the house, we can't use that excuse"

"Well, you'd better go and find some excuse, or maybe I'll go over and introduce myself as a neighbour and see if they really have five really rich daughters as Miriam said. I'll ask if they knew the Gardiners, you were quite friendly with their daughter once, weren't you Will?"

Will grimaced and looked for an escape route

"I was um, twelve, mum"

Mrs. Darcy took out her pocket mirror and began to powder her nose, a habit she did when she was annoyed.

"Well, she was the only girl ever to display much of an interest in you Will" this was completely untrue, but it didn't stop it from hurting "What with those cat-like looks, you're never going to find a wife, so you'd better be happy to come along with me and have a look at those girls"

Just as Will was about to let loose a string of expletive words at his mother, Charlie walked into the room

"Don't let it get to you bro" his eyes flashed at Will. Ever since they were three, Will and Charlie could communicate telepathically. It made their mother very mad sometimes, but Mr. Darcy assured her that it wasn't an international plot against her; it was simply something twins did. Yes, Charlie and Will Darcy were twins and looked like they came from different races, forget different families.

Charlie was blonde and blue and had a frank openness about him that made people take to him immediately. He wasn't as academic as Will, but kept up with him in sports quite easily.

Will, on the other hand, had a darker face framed by black hair, and extraordinary green eyes. His mother always referred to him as her 'Catlike son' and it never failed to hit its mark. For a while, he'd worn coloured contact lenses, but he looked even more ridiculous in any other coloured eyes, so stuck with green.

The twins' personalities were completely different as well. Charlie believed the best in anyone and everyone and was slightly niave, while Will was far more careful and had a very quick tongue.

"Mum, Will's not going with you" Charlie said firmly "He's got to go and make an important work call, right Will?"

Will knew that he had to make no such call, and Charlie was just trying to cover for him, as Charlie was Mrs. Darcy's favourite son.

"Yeah, that's right - I've got to speak to the lawyer on the Hetty case. I'm meeting her for the first time tomorrow morning. Stupid bimbo."

Charlie followed him out of the room, as Mr. Darcy attempted to tell his wife not to go to the Netherfield house yet because they would be so busy unpacking.

"You wouldn't think we were nearly twenty five would you?" asked Charlie "She keeps trying to marry us off and we're perfectly able to have a love life of our own."

"It's like we're five, not twenty five. Although, Mum hasn't said anything much about you liking that Doctor in your department"

"Oh, she just tolerates me because she doesn't believe for a minute it's serious. Jane isn't that poor though, because she has an expensive car and a funny accent." Charlie began to go slightly red and twist his fingers. However, nothing went past his twin, who'd known him for twenty four years.

"You seriously like this girl, don't you?" he was worried; Charlie was the only barrier between Mrs. Darcy's wrath and himself, and he kept the house together. If he went off and married some girl then the whole family would fall apart. Will knew with a cold certainty that if Charlie went, he would go. Even though his mother had refused to let him go before, he would go with or without her permission.

BRRRRrrrr

His phone made both of them jump out of their thoughts.

"William Darcy"

"Mr. Darcy" a clipped tone replied "It's Liz Regan. I'm just confirming our meeting tomorrow at 10am. Hetty Smith will not be present, will your client be present?"

"No, this is just a lawyer to lawyer talk" Will said, trying to turn on the charm "Good. See you tomorrow" she hung up

"The other side's lawyer who's making sure you don't sleep at night because you're worrying about the case?" Charlie asked

"She's good, I'll give her that, tomorrow I'm meeting her for the first time. I think she's got quite a name for herself as a divorce lawyer, but she is such a cold horrible woman"

Charlie smiled "They usually get somewhere in life. Did I tell you that Jane's sister is a divorce lawyer too? It could be the same girl. Actually, from your description of her, it probably isn't; Jane's twin could never be so unfeeling"

"Jane's a twin?" asked Will, interested

"Yes, she's the younger by a few minutes, like me. I think you and Elle, her sister, would get along quite well, although I've heard that Elle is a bit more outgoing and clever"

"You sound more like Mum every day when you talk like that" Will snapped unkindly

Charlie didn't reply, he just deliberately turned his face away from his brother, and changed the subject to something neutral.

"Sorry bro" Will apologised after a minute "I'm going to bed now, I'll see you in the morning"

"I've got an early start tomorrow so I'm going to bed" he called down to his mother, who didn't reply "Goodnight" he said again

Suddenly, as if something had struck her, Mrs. Darcy came running out of the lounge.

"Is that the case where the people call themselves Bob and Hetty Smith but are really famous and if the media knew they were divorcing they would get as much coverage as Paul and Heather McCarthay had? The one where you'll get a lot of money if you win your case"

Will just looked at her for a long five seconds before turning his back and slamming his door.


	2. Elle's Story

Thank you all so much for your reviews, you have no idea how warm and fuzzy it felt to get them

**Thank you all so much for your reviews, you have no idea how warm and fuzzy it felt to get them!**

**You know something… I just love the new Mrs. Bennett!! She's lovely!**

**I'm afraid I'm not giving Jane much of a character at the moment, anybody got any ideas?? She can't be her normal self, it just doesn't fit.**

**Well, here we go…!**

Chapter Two

"Elle? Have you finished your work? There's someone on the phone for you"

"Liz speaking, how can I help you?"

"Liz Regan? This is Hetty Smith, your client; I just wanted to know If you're going to be meeting with 'that man's' lawyer?"

"Yes I am" Elle said, completely baffled

"I cannot allow this. You have no right to be fraternizing with the enemy. You are totally out of line."

"Mrs. Smith." Elle sighed "I have to meet with Darcy, just to see if we can agree on something that you two can't. It's not about what you two are doing, or anything, it's about costs should the other side win."

"If you insist" sniffed 'Hetty' "We're still meeting at 3pm tomorrow?"

"Yes" Elle could completely understand why 'Bob' was divorcing Hetty; she was a really horrible woman. Elle knew that she was sometimes rather cold to her fellow lawyers, but she didn't think she'd go as far as to try and get 94million divorce money out of a loving husband, citing mental abuse.

The phone on the other end clicked as Hetty rang, and Elle clicked her tongue in disgust.

She searched in her memory for a number and dialed it. She'd known since she was six that she was unlike people for remembering things.

"William Darcy" the deep voice answered.

Elle spoke to him and closed her phone. There was something about Mr. Darcy that she remembered. Where did she meet him before? As she was racking her brains, furious with herself for forgetting something that she instinctively knew was important, her phone rang again. This time it was her personal phone

"Elle speaking"

"'LO sis, I've finished unpacking in my room. How's yours?" Elle smiled at how her brother, Tom Bennett, had rung her despite the fact that he was only about 30ft away.

"I've been busy with work" she sighed "I'm beginning to really hate that Hetty woman. Do you like this house?"

"Is it how you remember it?" Tom asked; Elle had spent a summer with her aunt and uncle at Netherfield house before; now she was moving back with her family.

"It seems a lot smaller than I remember it" she smiled "But I was smaller then and saw things differently. It was a lovely summer then, and I remember there was a guy I hung out with a lot of the time. We agreed that we'd marry in the end." she laughed with her brother "I know, how sad is that?"

"How did you lose contact then?" Tom wanted to know, very interested as ever in his older sister's love life. He was a lot closer to her than he was to his other sister Jane and really wanted to be like Elle when he grew up. He was ten years younger than the twins.

"I was younger than you" Elle explained "It just happened; as we knew we'd never meet again" she caught the spark in her brother's eye and added "Don't you even think about trying to get us together again!"

Tom didn't make any promises, and he secretly resolved to disobey his sister and try and make her meet this Will Darren somebody. Elle said that she remembered his first name but his surname escaped her completely.

"How can you forget something as important as that?" he'd wanted to know

"Because it's no longer important to me in my mind, so the memory has been chucked out, I suppose"

"But Elle... you remember everything!!" Tom said surprised "The thought of you forgetting that is amazing! The guy must have really been unimportant to you"

"Tom, I think the reason why I've forgotten is because it did matter to me, unlike all those cold hard facts and horrible numbers. Tom - I know that this other lawyer really despises me, do you think I'm a horrible person?" she asked tentatively

"Of course not!" Tom hugged her "I think you're funny, nice and although a bit reserved, you're very kind and cool!"

Elle hugged him back "Thanks Tom, you're a lifesaver. I'm so tired with this case and this horrible lawyer. I wish I was fighting for Bob, not Hetty"

"Are you ever going to tell me who they are?"

"You'll find out in the end when they go public with their divorce, but by then there will not be as much of a field day as there was with Paul and Heather."

"Are they famous?"

"Of course they are, but they're horrible people. Why don't you go to bed, I've got some more case notes to make and then I'll go to bed. You know, it's twelve years since I slept here"

"Oh really? Well, I've got to go; my gameboy's probably getting a little lonely!"

They both laughed and said goodnight.

"I wish I smoked" said Elle to herself when Tom had gone "Then I would have something to stop me feeling so nervous!"

She was very worried about the meeting the following day, but would never have admitted it. This William Darcy sounded like no pushover, and she'd probably end up having a shouting match with him like she usually did with obnoxious legal representatives.

She crossed to her window - looking outside at the dark town reminded of how Will had showed her he could see her window from his room, even though they were over a mile apart.

Will Darcy! Oh! - remember his mother!! What a stupid woman she was!" then she corrected herself "Will Darcy is the lawyer, what am I saying?"

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, you know!" Jane said from Elle's door

"Jane!!" Elle flew to hug her "When did you get back. Did you bring Charlie to see me? How's work?" She bombarded her sister with questions

"No, Charlie lives around here, and he'll see me later, I didn't take him here because then he'd have known that I was Jane Bennett, esq., not Dr. Jane Carter who works with him."

"I think this idea of having a different last name is going to get somebody into serious trouble sometime. If you have a serious relationship with Charlie and get married, how're you gonna explain that you lied to him all this time??"

"I'll tell him sometime soon" Jane sighed "How're you keeping?? Still got this horrible William Darcy guy on the line telling you what to do and how to run your case?"

"I'm meeting him tomorrow, so I'm feeling rather jittery"

"Why? You never get nervous!" Jane laughed in surprise

"Well, there is something vaguely familiar about him, and I know that I'll just get angry and probably throw coffee all over his best suit. He sounds such a jerk!!"

"You've never thrown coffee all over someone yet" Jane soothed "I highly doubt you're going to start now. Now, go to bed!"

In the morning, Mrs. Bennett snuck into Elle's room at 5:30

"Elle darling? It's time you got up - you've got all that paperwork to do before you leave"

Elle rolled over in bed as her mum plugged Elle's stereo into the wall and tuned it to her daughter's favourite morning channel. As she began to turn the lights on, she heard a muffling sound from the bed that sounded distinctly like someone saying

"I don't wanna get up. Today's gonna be horrible"

Mrs. Constance Bennett smiled to herself and pulled the covers off her oldest daughter. "You'd better get up if you're going to get a morning run done before breakfast."

"Mum?" Elle looked very young and vulnerable, and it pulled at Constance's heartstrings seeing her daughter in a situation where she could hardly sleep at night, and was working her heart out.

"Yes, Ellie?" she smoothed her daughter's hair back

"What happens if I lose this case? What happens if Hetty turns round and really does sue me because I lost the case?? She's threatened so many times. She's taking over my whole case. What happens then?" she was very frustrated

Constance got up from the bed and began to fold the clothes that were lying on the floor

"Ellie" she said, using her special nickname for her daughter "You've never lost a case before, and even if Hetty does sue you, everyone including your usual clients can testify that you've worked so hard for this case. You've stopped all your social events, and you've pulled every favour you have for this woman. Is she really worth it?? Can't you just walk away from the case??"

"No. I can't. I signed a contract that said I'd keep her secret and that I'd stay with the case until the end. I can't walk away. Oh Mum, please tell me what I can do"

Constance sighed "Sorry Ellie, I'm not a lawyer, but I'll look into it for you. Now get out of bed little girl and go and show them!" she left the room and Elle got up.

Tying back her long brown hair and pulling on her jogging clothes, she plugged in her MP4 and set off on a run round the unfamiliar block.

By nine O'clock she was in her Louis Vuitton business suit, clutching her laptop case.

"Good luck darling!" her Dad blew her kisses on his hurried rush out the door. "Make us proud of you!"

Her mother was more sensitive, hugging her daughter and brushing an imaginary piece of lint from her clothes.

"You'll be fine. Remember to repeat to yourself - 'What's the worst that can happen?'" then she smiled and added "And...'I must not hurt this man; I must not hurt this man!'

Elle laughed, more at her mother's impersonation of her than anything.

"Sure I will Mum. If I don't give you a call by 5, you know where the nearest police station is, don't you?"

Constance smiled and watched her daughter climb into her sleek black Porsche. She was very proud of her children and what they had turned out to be. Tom had been unexpected but a real blessing all the same and she knew that one day he'd be so like his father.

Elle watched her mother slowly close the front door, and put her car into reverse. She was off!


	3. They Meet!

I'm so terribly sorry that I haven't updated this recently, I just couldn't work out if I should make her be rude to him because she's the upper class lady

**I'm so terribly sorry that I haven't updated this recently, I just couldn't work out if I should make her be rude to him because she's the upper class lady. In the end, I left it to good old Darcy to be rude, as he always manages to be rude and handsome in the same second! :D**

**MMmmm, I'm not too happy about this chapter, but it will have to do!**

**xx**

CHAPTER THREE

Elle was at a cafe table tapping her fingernails on the polished wood surface when she heard him come up behind her. She had no idea why, but her heart began to speed up to twice its normal pace.

"Miss Liz Regan?"

Elle turned round and gasped. William Darcy was breathtakingly handsome. She'd expected him to be middle aged and good looking, but nothing had prepared her for the rather young, just-out-of-college-but-in-a-man's-world looking guy.

"Uh-huh" she couldn't force her mouth to come out with any intelligible worlds just yet; she was still reeling from shock.

"I'm William Darcy, shall we get down to business?" the cool collected tone he used brought Elle immediately down to earth. Of course he knew how hot he was, and was used to girls mooning over him everywhere he went.

"Stupid girl" she kicked herself

"Yes" she said coldly, mentally refusing to give him any satisfaction of knowing how attractive she found him.

After an hour of solid arguing, Elle left to get some coffee, when she came back, Will was on his mobile complaining.

"So I get stuck with this absolute bimbo of a lawyer who has no idea how bad Bob really is. No Charlie, saying she's a bimbo is not admitting I find her pretty, she may not be as ugly as Aunty Philips…" He sniggered with his twin, as their Aunty Philips was one of the ugliest women in the world "But she's not nearly pretty" while thinking in his head at the same time "She's gorgeous, and knows it"

Elle walked away and threw his coffee in the bin, before returning to the table

"Didn't you get me one?" he asked with a slight tone of guilt in his voice

"No, I didn't. I don't bring coffee to people who insult me"

Elle had the satisfaction of watching his ears (very nice ears, she admitted to herself) go very red indeed.

The meeting continued, both sides refusing to give into the other's demands, until Darcy brought out a sheet of paper showing a statutory declaration from Bob saying that he didn't care how much he had to pay as long as he was 'divorced from his horrible wife'

"Oh! That settles it then doesn't it? We'll just charge our costs to Bob if he wins and if he doesn't, we'll charge him half and make Carol pay the other half"

Why did Elle get the impression that he was looking at her somewhat superiorly?

"I don't think that is acceptable do you? Charging it all off onto my client, although..." he said, showing the first sign of humanity that Elle had seen in him "I think he may just deserve it"

"Huh?" Elle was lost for words. His smile was unlike anything she'd seen before - it lit up his entire face like a volt of electricity. She felt like she personally had been basked in the sun and its warmth.

"I'd much rather be supporting Carol on this, as Bob seems to be one of the grumpiest, most selfish and controlling men on the planet."

"Really?" Elle asked politely "Does he slag women off to their face? I'll bet he calls them non-pretty bimbos. That's disgusting, don't you think?"

Darcy had the grace to blush, and Elle felt somewhat better.

"If you say so" he said coldly a minute or two later "I think we've finished here if we both agree on this, I'll talk to you later." and he promptly swept up his papers and left.

"Well really!" Elle said to herself once he had gone "No-one has ever been as rude as that to me since, well, since forever!!"

Meanwhile, Darcy was thinking to himself as he strode purposefully past an old lady struggling with Tesco Bags

"Insufferable woman!"

Suddenly noticing the poor old dear, he turned around and helped her with her bags across the road

.

"Thank you!" said the old lady "I never thought I'd see the day when a real live gentleman would help me in this dreadful day and age. Thank you ever so much"

She tottled away thinking "What a gorgeous Prince Charming, I wonder if my hair was in place. The woman who gets him will be lucky indeed!"

**Indeed she will be…..**


	4. A Jerk!

**.**

**I realize that I haven't actually said I don't own these characters yet… well I don't. I'm not Jane Austen, and I'm not rich. But… I think I get to own Mrs. Bennett (she has my name here, as it suited her :D)**

**By the way, I am also shocked at how quickly I've managed to write up the next chapter. I think I'm past the writers block now. Or maybe since I'm on a diet I don't get to think about food so I think about my writing. But, you didn't need to know that did you?...**

CHAPTER FOUR

I'M NOT IN LOVE

"Oh my gosh" our heroine sighed to Jane on her way home "He is such a jerk! I never expected him to slag me off behind my back to some Charlie guy"

"Calm down Elle, you'll be fine. You know you're made of much stronger stuff and you shouldn't get upset. You'll never see him again, don't worry"

Elle wondered why that thought made her worry all the more. There was something familiarly 'nice' about Darcy despite all his rudeness, and she felt almost comfortable with him even though she didn't like the way he made her slightly weak at the knees.

"Yeah, okay, I'm over him now"

"You're what??"

"Oh, uh, I mean, I'm over his rudeness, right??"

"Elleeeee?? You liked him didn't you?"

"No, of course I didn't, I didn't, honestly. He was ugly, horrible, slimy, stubborn, mean and everything I don't like in guys"

"Darling, I can tell when you're lying" Jane said "You liked him didn't you?"

"No, I just was surprised at how hot he was for a minute" Elle replied untruthfully to her sister "There's nothing to be worried about. Like you said, I won't ever meet him again"

She caught sight of herself in a shop window, and wondered why Darcy had said she wasn't pretty. She wasn't in the same class as Kate Moss obviously, but she wasn't that bad!!

"Did you hear me?"

"What? Oh, sorry Jane, I zoned out for a minute... what did you say?"

"You've got the party to look forward to tonight, what are you wearing?"

"Oh, that party? The whole place will be full of lowlife people that invite themselves over to make our acquaintance, from Plumstead. Gosh, I hate it that Dad is so famous sometimes, everyone wants to know us. Look at us now - we've changed our last names so no-one connects us with Thomas Bennett."

Jane laughed slightly bitterly

"I know, it's really ridiculous isn't it? Now I run the risk of losing Charlie if he ever finds out my name. I haven't invited him or his brother to the party, I can't, you see..."

Elle sighed "I'm in my car now; I'll call you later at the office. I hope you have a good day"

"Bye"

As Elle got into her car she was thinking

"Man! I know that I've seen that guy before"

She whipped out her business phone, and called her secretary, making an appointment with Hetty

"That disgusting woman?" the secretary, Rachel asked with sympathy in her voice "I feel so sorry for you. Imagine if she knew that Thomas Bennett's little daughter was dealing with her divorce!"

"How do you know??" Elle was shocked "I told you I'm Liz Regan. How do you connect me with Elle Bennett??"

"I saw you in Hello at a high class party. You were dressed differently and had a wig on, but you are definitely Elle Bennett."

Elle gasped, and began to tap impatiently on her steering wheel "Did you tell anyone?"

"Of course not, it's really cool that you've started from scratch and made your way up. You've got to relax Liz" she slipped back into the old name "Not everyone is out to get you"

"Yeah, I know, I should calm down. How's Ben?" Ben was Rachel's on-off boyfriend

"He's lying smashed in one of his mate's houses. I've seriously got to consider finishing with him" Rachel said ruefully

Elle wasn't listening; she was trying to get past an obnoxious driver in a black Mercedes.

**Hooooooooooot**

The car didn't budge, and the driver just kept on going. Ten seconds later, Elle saw who the driver was, and nearly dropped her mobile phone.

She tried ducking out of his sight, but he saw her.

"Don't you ever stop hooting?" he asked, grinning.

Elle was absolutely furious. She realized what he was implying, and almost crashed into him. Did he never give up?

She hated him. Hated him!! Hated his compelling green eyes and his well fitted suit. She hated his cute car, and his adorable hair. She hated the way holding the mobile to his ear drew her attention to his lovely ears, and well shaped neck. She hated him like she'd never hated anyone before.

"Move!!" she screamed

He did so; smirking at her like she was the biggest idiot. Neither of them noticed the police car coming up to them, and Elle certainly didn't see the press photographer.

Elle spotted the police car tailing them first, and pulled over before Darcy had a chance to. Irritated, she put her phone down and hid it in handbag. 200m along the road, Darcy stopped and put his phone down, just as irritated.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to book you for driving while being on the phone." The policeman announced when Darcy and Elle were both by him. Then he spotted Elle

"Oh, hello miss, I'll just speak to your father. Maybe he can sort this out"

Elle very nearly had convulsions at the look on Will's face when the police officer recognized her

"Sure Paddy, say hi to Katrina for me" Elle replied

"You remember me!! Oh, Katrina will be so happy to hear from you. Till next time Elizabeth. Whilst you young man, what do you think you're doing?"

Darcy quickly saw a way out of this "I was on the phone to Liz here, we're both working on something together, and I was surprised to see her. Neither of us was actually on the phone, I was ringing her when I saw her. On account of this lovely lady, can you let me off?"

Elle make a puking face at Darcy behind Paddy's back, but to his relief refrained from saying anything.

"Sure lad, but don't let it happen again. Can I have your autograph Elizabeth?? I think Katrina lost it."

"Sure" and Elle signed her name on his t-shirt, where Will couldn't see it. With a grin and another thank you, Paddy was gone.

"That was close" Will said as they walked back to their consecutive cars "How did he know you?"

"Oh, yes, that… most people know my father" Elle admitted airily

"Mr. Regan? He's not Ronald Regan is he?" Will looked confused

"No darling" Elle said in a sugary sweet voice "My professional name and my professional life are kept out of the way of my public name and life. I never mix the two. You will never really know who I am"

Darcy was so shocked that she'd called him darling that he forgot to listen to the rest of the sentence. Elle stole a glance at him sideways and saw him blushing, and thought it the cutest thing she'd seen since forever, but she kept her thoughts to herself!

"Bye" he said as he slid into his car

Elle didn't reply, she was already late as it was...

**Well, are you liking it?? I'm LOVING writing this :D**


	5. Preparing for the party!

.

**Isn't this quick?? I'm loving this story at the minute, and am thinking about it during schoolwork and everything. My teachers are wanting to know why at the sides of my math page there is Elle written in fancy letters and scribbled in. LOL**

**Once again, I do not own these characters, and if you happen to notice any that should belong way back in Fresh Prince of Bel Air, don't blame me, I just watched it :D**

Chapter Five – Preparing For the fateful night!!

A few hours later, one of the cars was revved again, and its' owner and occupant was on his way to Netherfield Hall.

Will had received an invitation from a Mrs. Constance Bennett to attend a welcoming party at her hall; she invited a lot of the families in the neighborhood, and she said that her sister had known Mrs. Darcy, so she was invited with her sons.

Darcy had sighed, changed his shirt and left for the party. It would have been rude not to turn up, especially since Constance had issued him a 'special' invitation, whatever that was. She'd mentioned that her sister, Mrs. Gardiner, had known him.

His Mom had told him excitedly that she was the Mrs. Bennett. The supermodel who was now married to the super famous actor Thomas Bennett

"The one in Wishin' Impossible??" Georgina wanted to know? _A/N Sorry, bad joke on Wishin' Impossible - :D I had to make it off some famous movie, and I though that who better for him to be like than Tom Cruise. Without the adoption and scientology obviously!_

Will nodded surprised, he had never supposed that the 'niece' who had known him all those years ago was the second cousin of one of his favourite actors

"They protected the girl that I knew well, didn't they? There was no press, nothing when I knew her"

But his mother and sister were too busy screaming that neither of them took the slightest piece of notice.

"Will she be there, Mom?" Georgina asked, excited "I'm going to look her up on wikipedia right now. Sorry Will" she added "I know I'm usually better than this, but for once I'm going to let it all go and scream" she grinned at her favourite brother

"She might just be there" their Mom squealed, acting for all the world like a silly 13 year old girl in Will's estimation

"For once, my Will might have a chance with a girl. she must be a very rich girl! Oh yes! Finally!!"

Will had fled from the squeals that followed, slammed the door behind him and thanked his lucky stars that Hilary, his older sister wasn't coming back from New York until the day of the party.

Now, in his car and relieving the scene from indoors, he wondered if he'd secretly like to meet the girl again.

He knew that there had been hundreds of other girls trying to get off with him, despite what his mother maliciously said, and he knew that there was something completely different about the girl he had known all those years ago.

"Am I fooling myself into remembering the past differently?" he wondered to himself, as he sped along.

Suddenly, the face of Liz Regan, the lawyer from that morning flashed before his eyes, and he sighed in irritation. Would the woman never leave him alone?? Would he be forever taunted by her like the guy in "Never Again?" by Kelly Clarkson?

Darcy smiled at the thought; he certainly hadn't sent her a 'Sunday School Letter' breaking them up, and he saw no reason at all why she should come back to taunt him.

Still...

Elle was scowling at Jane, but nevertheless changed into the Caren Miller that her sister had bought for her. It made her look absolutely amazing, and Jane knew it. She wished she was as classically beautiful as her mother and sister, but only for a millisecond, as that was the sort of person Jane was.

She smiled.

"You need a little grey eye-shadow" she prompted, and grinned as Elle tutted before reaching for her eye-shadow box. "Which colour?"

Jane mimicked the tutt "You really have no idea do you?? Why don't you take a little more care and put more make-up on all the time, you'd pass for being a supermodel"

"That's not what Darcy said" Elle grimaced, applying eye-shadow carefully, and surveying the result in her mirror

"Not still pinning after the handsome lawyer are we?? Well, I can introduce you to my boyfriend's twin someday, if we have hit it off, maybe you will!"

"Like no way, Jane, don't you dare!!" Elle warned "I'll... tell Geoffrey not to bring you breakfast in bed"

"Ouch" Jane pretended to be scared "Of course I won't dare then! But, if I don't get a move on, the party starts soon" and, giving her sister a kiss, she left the room.

Twenty minutes later, at three minutes to seven, exactly the same moment as Darcy was telling himself that he hadn't anything to be guilty about, Elle made her way downstairs.

"WOOOOOOOOOW!!" Tom appreciated from the hallway. "You look gorgeous tonight. Not that you don't always look gorgeous, but that dress is soo cool. Doesn't she look great Dad?"

Thomas Bennett finished speaking to the housekeeper, and turned towards his pretty daughter.

"How's my little girl" he held out his arms, then ruefully lowered them "On second thoughts, I'm quite fond of this suit, and have no wish to have it covered in glitter and what-nots. Just come down darling before all these terrible people start to arrive. How was your day?" He hadn't heard about the odious lawyer, because he was late home from filming his latest film.

"Terrible, Dad" Elle admitted "Hetty had a meeting with me and she demanded to know my personal mobile number so she could contact me at all time, she wanted to know when I was born and she wanted to know exactly how much I earn a year. She wanted to know if I was as much a man hater as her; and if I'd ever been divorced"

Thomas Bennett grimaced. "'Bob Smith' directed one of my films five or six years ago, and he was one of the most overbearing and hideous men I'd ever met. I'll imagine his wife was like him"

"Oh, that's what Darcy said about him." Elle was surprised that he'd actually told the truth, and her surprise showed

"Darcy??" her Dad questioned with an inquiring look in his eye. Although his daughter was every day of 23, he still thought of her as his little girl and got a little suspicious when she mentioned any 'young men'.

"Darcy is that hateful lawyer that I met today. He was so full of himself! I heard him on the phone to a 'Charlie' telling him that I was a completely ugly bimbo"

Thomas Bennett could simply not understand how anyone could call his beautiful daughter ugly and a bimbo.

"He must be mad!!" he said "Well, if you want I'll look him up and give him a good punch on the nose"

"Me too!" chipped in Tom, looking quite happy at the prospect Elle smiled, a warm feeling circulating inside at her Dad and brother's words

"Thanks guys, that's really nice of you. But, let's get a move on and start welcoming the guests, I think I can hear a car coming up the drive"

Thomas shook his head as Elle swept past him "She needs to relax more and think less about work" he said to Tom "I get the feeling, her humanity is slowly beginning to die"

"What you actually mean Dad, is that she needs to meet the right guy" Tom interpreted cheekily "And," he slapped his father on the back "I have to say I couldn't agree more"

"Easy, easy" Thomas said "I'd be quite happy for you to show your appreciation by giving me a box of chocolates rather than slapping me so hard that I think I'm being assaulted!!"

Tom laughed and waltzed to the door, his shiny black shoes gliding across the polished surface of the hall, giving him a very debonair look.

He opened it, and standing there was one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen. She was about thirteen or fourteen, but had the air of someone much older.

"Hello!" he stuttered, for once in his life lost for words.

**A Cliff-Hanger!! I've been waiting to do one of these for a while. **

**Now, can I beg you to review and tell me what you think of my (in my opinion) amazing story??  
Love you all! (well, I will if you review!)**


	6. Tom Finds Out!

**.**

**Two chapters in one day?? I am getting good. How do you like it?? This is basically a filler chapter so you know exactly what goes on when Will finds out who Liz really is, and they meet again. Oh, I'm going to start writing my new chapter immediately, I'm so stuck on this!**

**xx**

Tom Finds Out

"Hello!" he stuttered, for once in his life lost for words.

Georgie Bennett was standing there absolutely stunned. She'd come to the house and hoped to see Thomas Bennett and meet some famous people, but nothing had prepared her for meeting Thomas Bennett Junior.

"I Uh..." she turned bright red. So did he.

"You, uh... er... better come in" he said, opening the door wider, just in time as Jane came through from the kitchen

"Come in, Come in, it's nice to see you. You are...?"

Georgie swallowed "I'm Georgina, and my Mom, Dad and Hilary, my sister are just behind me, trying to sort out the car, I think they left their car keys in the car and locked the door"

Jane laughed, a pleasant laugh, not at all condescending, and Georgie warmed to her immediately.

"Get Tom to help you, he can open a car door in twenty seconds flat"

"Really?" Georgie turned her gaze on him, wide-eyed "I thought only like chavvy boys could do things like that."

Jane laughed again, not just a polite laugh but a real deep laugh, throwing her head back. "Tom, just go and show her."

Tom removed a safety pin from his pocket and headed off in the direction that Georgie took him.

"So" he said

"So??" asked Georgie

"Well, how old are you?"

"I'm thirteen, you?"

"I'm the same" Tom said, walking more briskly "What's your family like? Are they all as nice as you?"

"No!!" Georgie laughed "You need to be very careful around Mom and Hilary, they are both absolutely psycho about boys and getting the rest of us married off"

"Are you and Hilary the only kids?" Tom was determined to keep the conversation going, and it appeared to be the only thing to say, as they walked.

"No, I have twin brothers, Will and Charlie, too!" Georgie kept giving Tom sly sideward glances to see if he really was as handsome as she'd first thought. She wasn't disappointed

The names Will and Charlie stuck in Tom's brain

"Oh boy, I sure hope your brother isn't Will Darcy" Tom joked, fully expecting her to say - 'Who's Will Darcy?'.

He was completely unprepared for her reaction. She grabbed him by the arm and wheeled him around to face her.

"How do you know??"

"Is he coming?" Tom had to know

"I'm not sure, why? How do you know him? What's going on?"

"I have a good friend, who, if Will talks to you, you may know. Liz Regan??" Tom was very aware of her hand on his arm, but did nothing to brush it off

"Oh. My. Gosh. Her."

"Yes"

"How did you know that my Will is the Will you know?" Georgie squinted at him

"Well, your brother said something really horrible about my sister to somebody called Charlie, and hearing the names together, I put two and to together"

"Your sister??" Georgie's ears pricked up

"No, no, no, no, no" Tom said far too quickly, assuring Georgie that he was lying "I meant my sister's friend"

"Which sister??" Georgie probed

"Um, Jane" Tom decided that saying Elle might raise a few questions, especially as both nicknames are a form of Elizabeth.

"That had better not be the Jane that is going out with my brother Charlie." Georgie quipped to take the edge off the moment, with a joke

"Um, do you mean your brother Charlie is going out with a Dr. Jane Carter or something??" Tom had to ask

"NO WAY!!" Georgie screamed "That is practically impossible. Yeah! How comes our families all know each other??"

Tom was astounded. "This is sooo cool" he said "How comes you know about her as well?"

"Tom - your sisters take on different names at work don't they?" Georgie was surprising astute, causing Tom to be the one to stop walking

"How do you know?"

Georgie tapped her head "Women's intuition" she laughed, and Tom joined in.

"I cannot wait until we acquaint them with the facts!!" Tom said excitedly, grinning from ear to ear

And that was how Mrs. Darcy pounced on them

"Georgie, what are you doing? I thought I told you to go off and invite yourself in and find a place for us at the table and tell everyone we're here and ask if they know who the girl is that Will knew all those years ago"

"It can't be..." Tom thought to himself, completely aware that Georgie was thinking exactly the same thing.

"I found someone who can help us. Mom, may I present Thomas Bennett Junior"

"Oh! Well!" Mrs. Darcy turned to Georgie "I must say. You have been busy"

Tom didn't like that insinuation, and he thought that Georgie was a little better than that

"Ma'am" he gave a little bow, as he'd been taught to do to horrible people "Which is your car?"

"That Volvo over there" Mrs. Darcy pointed in a voice that plainly said "What can you do about it?"

Tom calmly walked over to the car and bent down by the keyhole. A few seconds later, he pulled the door open and handed Mrs. Darcy her keys.

"This was on top of them" he handed her a few packets of white powder that was on the passenger seat. Mrs. Darcy blushed and turned away from him

"Mr. Darcy??" She screamed, making Tom grin at her old-fashioned way of addressing her husband "Come here, I've got something of yours"

Georgie began to hurriedly lead Tom back toward the house, as she had no wish for him to see her father in his state or work out what the packets were for. Tom was very sheltered.

What no-one noticed as they were going back to the house, was that Tom had pinched one of the white packets so he could 'investigate' it.

No-one could have dreamed what the consequences would be...

**I liked my cliffhanger so much that I decided to be nice and add another one!**


	7. The Party's Climaxes

**First of all, I'm so sorry I've taken so long to do this chapter, but I've been abroad and just gained my American Citizenship so now have Dual Nationality!!! I've also been very busy with schoolwork and all the rest.**

**Secondly, I'd like to say sorry to anyone who noticed that, er, well, I've been using the spelling Bennett. It's Bennet (or so my brand new Pride and Prejudice book tells me :-)**

**From now on I will be using the new spelling.**

**Thirdly… I think I need some constructive criticism on my writing people, so please feel free to help… **

**Lastly, and finally… I don't own Pride and Prejudice, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting in a kitchen curled up by the aga because of the cold weather, I'd be rolling in money somewhere **

**xxx **

Darcy, Fitzwilliam, was pulling up at the Bennet's drive in his car.

Bennett, Elizabeth, was about to make her grand entrance.

They both did it at the same time, and managed to completely and utterly miss one another. Elle was so busy with playing hostess, introducing new people and making sure that the drinks were given out correctly and no-one was taking too much (that old man in the corner looked a bit stoned, to her) that she didn't have time to see that her sister Jane had turned a corner, and bumped into Charlie.

"I..." Jane went red

"Wha---?" Charlie spluttered

"Am..."

"Are ---"

"Sorry"

"Youdoinghere??"

"You go first" they both said at the same time.

"I'm just here..." Jane lied "What are you doing here?" (And who the shell invited him?)

"I was invited; my brother used to know a girl who grew up here a long time ago, so he got a special invitation" Charlie explained

Jane grinned "I think I know who the girl might be...."

While Elle was playing the perfect hostess, Tom was far from playing his part as the perfect host. He and Georgie had seemed to vanish completely from reality.

Mr. Bennet, while trying to greet people; shake both left and right hands at once; telling the waiter to "Stop chatting up the ladies and carry on with your work!" was keeping an eye on Elle and therefore saw when her face completely drained of colour.

He looked the same way she was looking but all he could see was an extremely handsome young man walking through the dining room door, his face expressing complete annoyance and disgust.

He rudely cut off Amy Winehouse's father in the middle of his sentence and backed off to join Elle keeping his eyes and a scowl on the delinquent waiter.

He put a hand on his daughter's back and looked into her face

"What's up Elle?"

She didn't answer, and he realized that Mr Handsome-But-Annoyed had engaged in a staring match with his daughter.

Well? What could he do? One moment Elle and this Mr. Whoever were staring at one another like they could have had him/her for breakfast. Two milliseconds later, the stare changed to antagonism and hatred, and Mr. Bennet thought he had better join the fray. He began to stare at this imposing person as well…

(I said he was a film star, I never said he was a particularly bright film star ;)

After what seemed to be an age, Mr. Bennet was forced to admit to himself that this man seemed to have no interest at all in staring back at him, and indeed (!) didn't even seem to be aware of the offence he was causing the famous film star by 'dissing' his daughter with such a horrible stare. So, Mr. Bennet strolled across the room.

"Thomas Bennet" he put his hand out.

Reluctantly, the tall stranger broke his gaze away from Elle, who was now looking at her father with horror, and took Thomas's proffered hand.

"William Darcy"

Mr. Bennett fingered his lapels, something he always did when he was surprised or confused, and stared disbelievingly at William Darcy

"The lawyer?"

"You have heard of me??" Darcy asked, surprised "I've always wanted to meet you!"

"Thank you" Thomas said politely "Are you the lawyer that Elle hates?"

"Elle???"

"My daughter Elle" Thomas Bennet explained patiently "The lawyer in your case"

"Uh, dear?" Constance reached up to take her husbands arm, realizing that he was about to spill Elle's secret to someone who they didn't trust as of yet

"Could you go and find Borris? You, know, the waiter? I haven't seen him bring any more drinks out or anything, you know..."

Thomas Bennet excused himself from Will and moved on

"Sorry for that. My G-d, that waiter keeps causing so much trouble. I'm Constance Bennet" Will noted with relief that her face had a lot of smile lines, and her expression wasn't as full of hatred as the rest of her family" He decided to make her his confidante, as otherwise he had no idea.

"Um, Mrs. Bennet?" he started, wondering how to say this without sounding like he was calling her family crazy man-haters.

"Yes?"

"Why do your husband and daughter hate me?" he blurted out the minute he saw her sympathetic face. The sympathetic face took on a very bewildered look

"What? They don't... - wait, before I actually say that, I should ask who you are"

"Sorry, I assumed that you knew" Will extended his hand. Mrs. Bennett took it "I'm William Darcy" She looked at the proffered hand, and promptly dropped it, trying her best to hide her bewilderment and confusion

"I'm sorry, you said William Darcy?? The lawyer?"

Her face didn't exactly take on the same antagonism as her husband's face had done previously, but it did become very, very wary. Darcy looked around him in surprise

"What have I done?" he asked

Constance suddenly remembered that he was completely unaware that their daughter used an alias at work, [so she wasn't harassed as badly as she'd been at college.... there was that one guy, she remembered...] and poor Darcy was in the dark.

"Are you the little boy who used to play with Ellie when she was a little girl staying here?" she asked, her smile lines creasing back, looking very becoming, (as Mr. Darcy thought through his stoned eyes, noticing her for the first time)

"Yeah, I used to come here with Ellie, all those years ago - do you know her?"

"Yeah, I do, she's my daughter. Sorry Mr. Voight, yes I do know what happens when you give your children too much slack, I'm going to learn from your lesson, excuse me. Sorry Will, that guy seems determined to think that since Angelina turned out terribly my girls will"

"Elle? Is your daughter? Why does she hate me then?" Darcy's face took on a rather lost boy look, making Constance want to hug him out of impulse.

She'd already been introduced to a 'Mrs. Darcy' today and quite understood his mother.

"Tell you what" she said to Darcy "I'll go and introduce you to her, and see if you happen to recognize her. Jane???" she called as she glided through the hall. Darcy stared in surprise; she was such an unusual woman. He wished she had been 'his' mother.

"Jane" Constance beckoned with her hand "I've found the boy who Elle used to know"

"I know Mom!" Jane squealed "His brother is the med. student I'm going out with!"

Constance smiled a brilliant smile and added in a quick hurry

"And... he's Will Darcy that horrible lawyer she doesn't like"

"Oh. My. Goodness" (only she didn't say goodness, but I'd rather not actually blaspheme)

"Jane. The problem is, he's... nice!"

"Mom, there is no way that Elle could mistake someone like that, so much. He is the one supporting the nice guy on the side of this story and he is making her life a misery."

Constance beamed again

"I think she just 'says' that she hates him and really likes him. Have you met him?"

Jane blushed before saying "No, but if he's anything like his twin brother, I'm with you on that theory. Shall I go and get her, and you can get him and we'll take them to the kitchen?"

(The Bennet's had a proper kitchen of course, for the chef etc, but they also had a small kitchen where the girls could make tea without disturbing the maids, and get themselves ice-cream)

"Quickly! We've got to get them together and have them met by the time Jerry arrives, and according to T.A.J - The Time According to Jerry we've got ten minutes" Mrs. Bennett said after consulting her watch.

After all, readers, you can't be called Mrs. Bennet and not have a matchmaking streak in you somewhere, however nice you may actually be!

*

"Sorry I took so long" Constance glided back to Will "Come along this way, Elle is being collected. How are you keeping now-a-days?"

Darcy just couldn't seem to get over his awe of her, after watch her pass off Jon Voight and all those other celebrities so easily, so he just stuttered "F-f-fine!

Constance stole a glance at him sideways as he walked before asking

"How is your mother? Much the same?"

Darcy's head shot round to look at her, before realizing that it wasn't an insult to his mom, it was a query as to whether she had left her stoned husband yet. He could see the sympathy in her eyes yet again.

Suddenly she shot out to pull him into the kitchen, and he was overwhelmed by a suffocating need to loosen his tie. And it wasn't Constance.

"Jane, I don't want to meet him, okay? I don't care if you are going out with his twin brother, and Mom thinks he's perfect, I don't want the embarrassment" Elle's voice came clearly and musically across the hall before Jane shoved her into the small kitchen

"I'll just leave" Constance smirked. The door closed behind her and her high heels could be heard clopping fast as she ran down the hall with Jane. Elle had no doubt that they were both laughing

Elle's P.O.V

I mean, come on. You can't do this to me????!!!?!?!? O!O!O!

I felt like my protests were echoing down the hall in vain, as I turned round to face this Will, who, in my futile imagination was some type of Mr. Collins from the BBC 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice.

"Sorry about them" I said, without lifting up my eyes.

H didn't say anything, so I looked up at him and gasped. Okay, this was no Mr. Collins.

He was gorgeous.

He was hot!

(He was looking at me with this way that even gave me butterflies)

He was familiar.

He was _him_

"YOUUUU???" I said at exactly the same moment his gaze focused - I wouldn't say that it had exactly been focused up until then - on my face and he dropped his jaw

"Liz"

He then gave this silly bow that I'm sure I taught him.

Oh puh-lease. Why do I want to kiss him?

Darcy's P.O.V

I didn't want to look anywhere but out of the window as her mother shoved us both into that tiny kitchen. I suppose she thought that she was being kind, but I haven't spoken to this girl in YEARS so how do I speak to her?

"Sorry about them" That voice is stunning familiar.

And that face??

That face is beautiful

Amazing...

Flawless.

OMG this is like a romantic comedy where you see someone else's face on the face of someone who you want to kiss.

Suddenly she screams "YOUUU?"

B - b - But... That's Liz Regan. Believe me; she is not supposed to be here!!

"Liz" I bowed the way that she had taught me all those years ago in this very room.

It should be illegal to look that good except on a magazine cover where I'm secure in the fact that she's airbrushed.

*****

"So..." Darcy said "That explains why your parents both took this horrible look onto their faces when I told them that my name was William Darcy"

It was a rather failed attempt at making her smile

"You - you - you - are here?"

At least it was part of an attempt at a conversation.

There was awkward silence for ten whole seconds before the door burst open, and Mrs. Darcy clopped in with a Zac Efron lookalike beside her

"Will!!!" she screeched "I've got young Jerry Hopkins here, and he is such a rich man! You should become his friend"

"Elle!" Jerry called

"Jerry" she smiled, tearing Will's heart apart

He held open his arms and she ran into them; he lifted her for a back cracking hug before swirling her around.

"It's been three weeks, how're ya doing?"

So Mrs. Darcy monopolized Will, and Elle went off with Jerry. Watching her go, looking up into _Jerry's_ face and laughing at _his_ jokes, with his mother screeching in his ear beside him; something cracked inside for Darcy.

From that moment on, until a point in time where a certain lady made him [and us] happy, the chatty personality and shy boyishness died. Will Darcy became a true Darcy. Inside he died, and a new outside shell that he was going to use from now on, was born.

"Let go of my arm mother" he said coldly

Fanny Darcy dropped his arm "What??" she could not believe that the son that had tried so hard to make her love him had actually said that to him. Will had always been the one that cared, the one that was always trying in some way to gain her approval, because he wanted someone to care for him. He was the one who looked after Georgina and Charlie, but no-one cared for him.

"You're hurting me" he said, and he spoke not only to his mother, but in a strange way to Elle, even though he had no idea why she hurt him if he'd only known her for such a short time.

Little did he know that Jerry Hopkins was the most platonic of all Elle's male aquaintances. He was like a GBF but he wasn't; he was just not her type, and she wasn't his.

Darcy decided to leave the party early and work on an idea that had sprung into his mind at the moment of transformation of character.

In six months he would be richer than the combined wealth of all the Bennett's fortunes, but that is a story for another day

***

Jerry was sitting opposite Elle on one of the expensive Italian sofas, with a coffee in his hand

"Well?"

"Well what?" Elle leaned back and took a long draft of her own coffee

"Aren't you going to ask your good old friend what I've done this time? Why I'm back to share my extraordinary secret with you" He grinned at her

"Ah, you see, now you've got me interested." Elle leaned forward and looked into his face "What have you done??? Do I need to get my good old punishment book out?"

Jerry swatted as if to a fly

"Nah, nothing like that. I only went and joined up"

All the colour drained from Elle's face.

"Don't joke about something like that Jerry, not after Ben" she pleaded "Don't joke like that"

"Elizabeth. I mean it" Jerry said as seriously as _he_ could, being born of a sunny disposition

"Why???" Elle chucked her coffee at Borris who was still hanging around trying to listen to her conversation, in search of gossip for a newspaper no doubt

Jerry had turned white, and was squeezing his fingers, a sign of extreme nervousness for him

"I just have to do this Elle" he exclaimed "I can't go on any longer with things the way they are"

"What things?" Elle started before it hit her like a flash "You're in love with someone and they don't love you back!!!"

Jerry shot up "And if you dare tell a soul I'll kill you and lay you out on a platter like they did with Eva Peron for people to come and see and say 'Never tattle on Jerry Hopkins'"

Elle was sure she heard Tom snort with laughter somewhere nearby.

"Is there no chance she'll ever love you?" Elle pressed "How do you know that they'll never love you if you never asked, or did you ask and leave me in the dark"

"She got herself someone else. This is a 'Someone' who, although without my impending title and riches, is my superior in every way."

"Jerry. A million girls are out there screaming their heads off at Zac Efron, and you look like him - what's not to like?"

"I'm not "sensitive!" he held up two fingers on each hand "" to show how sarcastic he thought it "Plus, I'm not 'caring'"

Elle shook her head "Jerry, if you were anything less than sensitive, caring, nice, strong and handsome - do you think you'd be my best friend?"

"Well, _she_ doesn't think so" Jerry said bitterly "It's like she's got her perfect Pride and Prejudice ending. He's even called Darcy."

A shot of pure, bitter jealousy struck through Elle and she suddenly felt weak at the knees.

"Darcy likes someone?" she whispered

Jerry grinned before tweaking her on the nose

"Yep. You."

Elle's face drained of colour for the twenty third time that evening.

"Oh. Please tell me you don't like me, Jerry."

Jerry smiled bitterly

"Thank goodness I don't then; if that's the way you would respond to a declaration of my delicate feelings!"

"Why mention Darcy then?" Elle wanted to know.

["By the way, did you mean it about how Darcy - My Darcy, I er, I mean the black haired one - likes me?"

"Yes"

"Good"]

"Because. He. Has. A. Twin. Brother."

"Charlie? Cha--- Jane? Jerry? You don't love Jane do you?"

Jerry held his hands up in the air.

"Guilty"

That was when Elle realized and totally understood that Jerry had to get away. Jane had never looked twice in his direction, and Elle suspected that she was in love with Charlie already.

She shouldn't look at him twice when her dear Jerry was on the line haggling for her heart. Charlie compared to Jerry like Cheese compared to Chocolate, bareable on crackers, but nothing special.

She cried that night. It was the first night in years that she didn't cry for herself, but for someone else, and in true compassion with what someone else was suffering.

Slowly by slowly, she was changing into the witty and far more personable woman that would become the famous Mrs. Darcy that we all know.

But, the road to success and happiness is not always happy.

Here are few things for you to ponder over

What happens to Tom?

Who on earth is Ben?

Keep reviewing if you can… and can someone please tell me how to undo the disabling of anonymous comments on my profile?? I keep getting people telling me that they can't post anonymously, and, cough, how do I undo that??

Love,

C


	8. Time Passes

**I'm sorry I've taken soooo long to update again, this has been sitting in notepad for years, I even wrote it in America, but I've been far to busy to do anything but update my blog once a week and get moving on with my schoolwork.**

**I mean, seriously,- who even wants to know about Chemistry Covalent Bonding.**

**Don't answer that.**

Anyway, on with the tale!

"What? What? What?" Will finally called out to the person pounding on his bedroom door.

"It's me" the cheeky voice called, assuring Will that it was his incorrigible younger sister. He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair

"Come in"

Finally given permission, she charged in and started pacing up and down, up and down, up and down. After five minutes Will had definitely had enough. He shot up from his pillows and scowled at her

"Would you please stop that!! It's, it's - maddening!" he spat out, getting the word he wanted.

"Well?? I have a lot to pace about. So there. Enjoy your sleep" and Georgie turned round and marched up his room again. She went back and forth, back and forth again.

Will gave up with a frustrated sigh and put his head back down.

He was on the edge of a most peaceful sleep when Georgie's voice pulled him back to the land of reality.

"Well? What do you think of him?"

Will sat up in total disbelief and stared at his sister

"What do I think of who?" he growled

Georgie looked a little taken aback at his tone, but carried on,

"Why Tom of course" she said, her cheeks staining red.

Two thoughts registered themselves upmost on Will's mind

1) Thank G-d she didn't have a crush on Jerry too

2) He'd never seen her blush before so... who is this guy? What is his license plate? How old is he?

"Georgie.." he started in a voice that was patient but had an underlying steelness to it "Who is Tom?"

"Thomas Bennet, you know, the boy at the party" she said, in disbelief that Will didn't know

"I didn't see any boys at the party last night... actually, come to think of it, I didn't even see you at the party last night. What were you doing?" he paused for a second then shot out "How old is he?"

"Relax Will" Georgie giggled "You're behaving like an over protective father"

"Someone has to" Will gritted through his teeth, before persisiting "How old is Tom?"

"I dunno, maybe 19 or 20" Georgie answered, as airily as she could

Will shot out of bed

"WHAT???" he yelled "You should know better! You spent the whole of last night in the company of a 20 year old. Don't you know what 20 year olds are like? They're dangerous Georgie... dangerous" He spelt it out.

If Georgie was taken aback at his tone earlier, she was downright shocked now

"What is the MATTER with you Fitzwilliam Samuel Darcy?? I was joking. Joking. J.O.K.I.N.G. Tom is at the most fourteen. Are you happy?"

Will sat down again, annoyed with himself at his outburst. He put a hand to his head and groaned.

"Sorry sis, I'm tired, and last night was a disaster."

Georgie was on her way out of the room, but stopped at Will's bald confession. He usually never told her anything about his private life, or how he felt.

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly "Did you meet the girl you used to know?"

"Yes" was the sullen reply "And she was the horrible lawyer I have told you about before"

"No way!!"

When her brother didn't reply, she realised that he was telling the truth.

"Ok-a-a-a-y" she said slowly "I know!!! I'll set you up with the perfect girl for you and she'll never bother you again" obviously she read the situation wrong, but Will couldn't be bothered putting her right.

"There is no such thing as a perfect girl" he said smiling

"Oh yes there is. I met her last night, and the minute I saw her I knew that she would be absolutely perfect for you. She has a lovely family, she's gorgeous, kind and stunning! Charlie is in love with her twin sister, and her brother is great, so therefore I have found you the perfect wife"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I don't even know her name - and you're saying we'll get married?" [Yep Darcy, don't you know?? - Sorry, as an author I shouldn't speak out, but he deserves it!]

"Will? How clueless can you get? I think you should meet her, you'll get along swimmingly"

Will passed a hand over his eyes in an attempt to look agonized, but really he was smiling at his younger sister

"Not going to happen Georgie"

"Too bad, you're already going out with her on a blind date... Tom and I decided it, and we got her to agree since she likes me so much now!"

Will refrained himself from ending her life there and then

"What was her name again?"

"Elle. Elle Bennet." She watched in fascination as her brother's face drained completely of colour "Come on man, it's not that bad, she's FAMOUS"

"Georgie" Will's voice was cold and dull again "Did I fail to clarify that Elizabeth Bennet is the girl I knew all those years ago?"

She put her hand to her mouth and coloured a little

"And..." he carried on "She is also the horrible lawyer that I can claim an aquaintance"

Now, Georgie knew that Will claimed an aquaintance with one of Tom's sisters, but since he said that she used an Alias for work, she thought it must be Jane because her name wasn't as close to Elizabeth. She didn't realise that Elle was the lawyer.

"She's not cold, or anything like you described her!" she squeaked once she got over the shock.

"Yes she is, and she's madly in love with Jerry Hopkins, so just leave me alone"

"You like her, you like her, you like her" Georgie danced around him

Blleeeeeep Her phone bleeped

"It's Tom!" she said excitedly, blushing ferociously

"You like him, you like him, you like him" Will said, grinning at her.

That made Georgie flee from his room. Fast!

****

"Tom! Whip the silly smile off your face" Elle said, breezing through the rooom "Who are you texting?" She leaned over the phone to have a better look but Tom pulled it away and put it in his jeans pocket.

"What?" he asked her, grinning cheekily "Can't a man have some privacy?

"Can't an older sister have a look at what is causing her innocent little boy to blush and grin like that?"

"No" Tom said stubbornly

"Then the answer from me is also no!" Elle answered grinning as she reached for his pocket, tickling him when he attempted to stop her

"Ah hah!" she grabbed the iPhone, but made no attempt to look through it for messages "I'll give this back to you without even having a peep, if you do me the favour of telling me who you are texting"

"Jerry" Tom said desperately

Elle began to peer at the phone "One last chance little brother, Jerry dropped his phone down a drain, accidentally, yesterday"

"Dad?"

Elle began to move her thumbs across the touchpad, showing Tom openly that she was about to look in his mailbox.

"Fine!!" Tom sighed "I was texting Georgie. Can I have it back now??"

Elle handed it over "You should be ashamed of yourself Tom; you have no spirit at all!! Why didn't you hold out to the end?"

"Elle..." Tom said, mock sternly "You know just as well as I do that you're saying that because you're disappointed not to have seen the text messages"

Elle flounced away from him

"I could get the whole secret service tracking your every move if I so much as clicked a finger" she shot from the door.

Tom thought it a very dramatic parting shot. But what can you expect if she had a father like Thomas Bennet?

He smiled as he heard her laugh as she went downstairs and thought "Sisters!" for a quarter of a half of an eighth of a milisecond before going straight back to texting Georgie.

And so, life went on. Days passed. Charlie had finally come to terms with who Jane was and why she'd lied to him (Tom had snapped one day, and upped and told him)

The Bennet children began to associate quite often with the Darcys, and more often than not, Charlie and Jane and Tom and Georgie would go to parties or bowling.

Tom and Georgie became the best of friends and insisted to everyone that the friendship was merely friendship. Platonic as a fish. The only thing that Elle and Darcy agreed on was that both Tom and Georgie were lying, but they thought it they were a little too young to get anywhere near involved, so left it at that.

("But Tom definitely stares at Georgie, when he's sure no-one's looking with this funny look on his face" Elle repeated to Will once when they were thrown together and exchanged pleasantries. Both were desperately trying to keep the emotions off their faces.

"I agree, and Georgie does exactly the same" Will agreed.

They were so surprised to find that the other actually said something civil to them, that they were rendered speechless for a few moments, before Tom came and successfully destroyed the moment)

Everyone else came to terms with the hatred between Will and Elle, and left them alone, but Tom was sure that they - despite what they said - secretly were in love.

Georgie, on the other hand, said that Will didn't fall in love and Tom was just a hopeless romantic.

That was when they made a bet. £100 to Tom if they didn't end up in a relationship, and £100 to Georgie if they did, by Christmas Day 2010

It was so that she would be £100 richer, that Georgie told Elle about Gina Wickham. She explained to Elle that Will was now in a relationship with her, and asked her advice on it.

Of course, Will had been slightly infatuated with the girl two years ago when they first met - she had been one of Hilary's friends - but although Gina seemed very possessive of him, the infatuation had died, Will had grown up, and Gina had disappeared. Lately, she turned up again, claiming to be related to the Bennets in some strange way.

Elle's face when told this; turned to stone. It wasn't the jealousy that was flooding through her veins, or the hopeless feeling at Will's stupidity. It was cold hard rage at the audacity of Gina.

"You'd better go home" she acidly told Georgie, who, after taking one look at Elle's face, got up, and ran.

"I hear you know Gina Wickham?" She observed in as neutral a voice as she could muster to Will the next time she met him. He was leaning against the kitchen sink, and nearly fell over at her casual talk

"Yeah, she's a good friend of mine."

"Miss Wickham is blessed with many friends. Whether she will be able to keep them is debatable" Elle returned sharply shoving him out of the way to switch the tap on and fill a glass of water.

Will looked at her amused.

"Well, she's been unfortunate enough to lose 'your' friendship. Something, which I fear she will suffer from for the rest of her life"

Then, he did something that Elle had never had anyone do to her yet. He shoved her back, and resumed his nonchalant position against the sink.

"How dare...?" Elle was so furious at his words and actions that she tipped the remnants of her glass down his collar.

Will's grin disappeared. He grabbed her by the shoulders, and pulled her close to him.

"Don't mess with me" he whispered, far too close to her ear for comfort.

He then pulled her closer and tilted her chin up...

"He's going to kiss me" Elle thought, the thought hardly registering through the haze of emotions in her brain that certainly shouldn't have been there

They moved towards each-other, slowly, slowly...

Suddenly, Elle was drenched in water. She gasped in shock, then disbelief as she realised what Will had done.

He'd filled a glass of water behind her back while distracting her, and tipped it down the back of her blouse.

They were standing there, gazing at one-another; Will in amusement, and Elle in incredulity when a cough at the door startled them apart

They jumped apart, startled and began making excuses for why they were so wet. In the doorway was a tall, burly man in soldier's uniform.

**That's it people, you know the drill, just a little review and make me happy???**

**You know you love me..**

**Or not lol!**

**WHY OH WHY DID ALEXANDRA WIN, JLS SHOULD HAVE WON.**


	9. Jerry?

Jerry!!!" Elle screamed and flew at him the way in the same impulsive manner she had shown the only other time Will had met his match.

After hugging Jerry and exchanging a few wisecracks about how short his hair was, she seemed to remember Will, who wasn't leaning quite so nonchalantly against the sink

"Jerry, this is Mr. Darcy, a divorce lawyer like myself; - and Mr. Darcy, this is Jerry Hopkins - his profession is quite obvious"

"I know you, don't I?" Jerry came across the room to shake his hand "Are you the owner of Darcy Credentials?"

"No" Will shot back quickly with a glance in Elle's direction "That is another Darcy family business."

Jerry understood immediately.

"You must be Will then?" he asked, trying to figure out why he felt like an intruder in a room with _his_ best friend.

"That's me" Will agreed sullenly

Why has the atmosphere in the room suddenly turned colder?? Jerry secretly wondered. Well – he consoled himself – if the atmosphere is like this, make use of it.

He turned back to Will, pretending have remembered something

"Ah, you're that Will I've been hearing rumors about." He stopped, and waited for his words to sink in, before turned to Elle with an insinuating glance.

"Georgie and Tom told me about you two."

They'd done nothing of the sort (Tom and Georgie) and had merely been playing a racing game ferociously on Tom's Xbox and pointed him in the direction of the kitchen when he mentioned Elle.

Tom had winked at him and wished him luck, saying the kitchen would be pretty heated, but Jerry had thought that was because Elle hated Will.

His own eyes had told him differently now, and he, the famous and ever brilliant Jerry Hopkins, felt like he was intruding on two people's personal space.

However, the 'brilliant and famous' Jerry has a personality that carries him through all situations, and this one was no extraordinary situation

"So... what are you two doing for dinner tonight?" he asked, perfectly aware of what a reaction it would cause.

He was not disappointed.

Darcy, who was drinking at the time spluttered everywhere, and Elle's face froze...

"What - What - What do you mean, Jerry?" she asked after an awkward moment where Jerry was having difficulty keeping his countenance.

"Date. Where are you going? What Restaurant? Can you fit me in?"

Both parties in the kitchen let out a strangled laugh.

"Mr. Hopkins" Darcy started

-"Jerry"

--"ER, Jerry, there is no need to worry. Elle's all yours; I'm not trying to take her away from you"

That turned the tables on him. Pretty darn fast.

Jerry's face was a picture! He pointed at Elle; and them himself, completely lost for words.

He tried to run his fingers through his hair - a Jerry personality trait, and scowled when he remembered he had a soldier's haircut.

"Me? Her? Us?" he asked "What? You think that Elle and I are an item? Us?"

Darcy nodded

"Aren't you?"

Jerry and Elle broke out into hysterical laughter, while Darcy just watched them with a disapproving look on his face

"When you're quite finished...." he started

Jerry shut up and looked Darcy in the face

"Elle is my best friend. It is possible to have a best friend of the opposite gender you

know! We have been friends ever since we were the only two to laugh when I called Miss Philadelphia in that stiff disgusting old school, Miss Soft-Cheese."

Elle stiffened, expecting Darcy to be shocked and horrified, but to her surprise, he smiled, conjuring up the image

"And she was the only one to agree to snowballing the principal on his wedding day before church" Jerry grinned evilly, so changing Darcy's smile to an outright grin.

"That's mean" he grinned

"OF course it is" Jerry agreed "But it doesn't make it any the less funny!"

"So you are not an item?" Darcy asked; and while Elle completely missed the look of relief, Jerry didn't and grinned again "I'm sorry, I just presumed"

"That's okay mate" Jerry slapped Will on the back "No harm done, I suppose. Apart from the slandering of Elle's perfect image; the implicating that we had done something we didn't, and the murderous look on your face the first time we met, no harm done!"

"Murderous look?" Elle asked, while Will wanted to close Jerry's mouth. Very badly.

"I have no idea what he's talking about Eli---" he started, but was cruelly cut off

"--You know, that murderous and green look of jealousy?" Jerry started, and carried on, in spite of Will's deliberately deathly looks.

"Yes?"

"Well, that was the look that he had when you ran and hugged me" Jerry finished with an extremely smug smile on his face.

Will looked (and felt) green.

Elle looked confused; there was a warm fuzzy feeling inside when she thought of the possibilities of Will being jealous. That really confused her.

Jerry was looking from one to the other and seriously contemplating leaving the room to let them sort it out, but Elle anticipated his move and put an arm on his sleeve to pull him back into the room.

"Jerrrrry" she stretched the syllable as long as she possibly could to put the most amount of pressure on him "Since you're so concerned about joining us for dinner, why don't you take 'us' out to dinner"

Darcy began to look a little uncomfortable. Elle deliberately didn't notice

"I can speak for myself and Darcy that we'd love to spend some time in your company and find out - - - - - " she cut herself off abruptly as Jane wheezed into the room, Charlie on her arm

"Jerry! I haven't seen you in ages! What have you done to yourself??"

She let go of Charlie and went over to Jerry kissing him on the cheek. Jerry went very, very, red, and Elle stiffened before realizing that Darcy had done exactly the same thing beside her, staring at Jane with a suspicious look in his eyes.

Charlie was looking from Jane to Jerry very confused, before Elle explained

"Jerry is an old family friend who has just joined the army. We haven't seen him in ages. Jerry Hopkins, meet Charlie Bingley Darcy, Charlie, meet Jerry"

There was no less than complete and utter pain on Jerry's face as he shook hands with Charlie, who on the other hand was frank and open, and happy to make Jerry's acquaintance.

"Jane, can I have a word?" she asked under her breath as she passed her. Without having to discuss it further, the twins left the room, smiling apologetically at the boys.

"Are you alright Elle?" Jane asked kindly "You looked fried back in there with Will and Jerry"

"Jane" Elle said and Jane turned sharply at the tone in her twin's voice

"Lizzy!" she used the name that Elle had grown out of "What's going on that I don't know about" She took one look at Elle's face and gasped.

"What's up with Jerry?"

Elle didn't ask how she knew; she'd known things like that for years, just by glancing at Elle's face. While it annoyed her at times, it saved her from having to explain things.

"JaneIdon'tthinkyoushouldkisshimhe'sinlovewithyou"

"Lizzy...?"

Elle exhaled sharply

"Just don't kiss Jerry" she said, going red because she knew what was coming next

"You're together? Finally? Oh, I knew that you two would get together sometime!! Oh Elle!!"

"Jane!" Elle interupted her sister from hugging her "Jerry and I are most definitely NOT together"

Jane stopped, looked round and back at Elle confused

"What on earth do you mean? If you're not together, why don't you want me kissing him?"

Elle rolled her eyes at no-one in particular, and proceeded to get mad

"You work it out" she said coldly

"Lizzy! What did I do? All I did was give him a kiss on the cheek, why won't you let me? Are you in love with him?"

"Of course not" Elle scoffed

"Then what?" Jane was very perplexed

"Because HE LOVES YYYOOOOUUUUU!" Elle suddenly screamed.

***

In a room a few feet away, three men had been crowded by the door listening to what had promised to be a very interesting conversation. Well, Will had turned green around the gills when he'd first heard Elle's request, but had enjoyed the ensuing conversation with glee.

When Elle made the last shocking announcement to Jane, Charlie turned round and looked at Jerry.

"Technically" Jerry said, in a way that reminded Will very much of Captain Jack Sparrow "I never said that"

He paused and looked at the twins, and decided to move away from them before bodily harm was done to his person.

"Look Charlie, I'm not trying to take her away from away, right? Will, I'm not trying to take Elle, and I won't tell anyone you like her" This last statement had the completely desired effect, as Charlie completely forgot about Jerry and turned on his brother

"You like Elle? Since when?"

"Oh please" Jerry interupted "Why am I getting a deja-vu feeling?? Charlie, I'm posted to Iraq in four days, I'm not going to get between you and Jane, I'm one of these people that is destined to die in the army. I'll leave it on that melodramatic note.

He slammed the door behind him, and stomped down the hall towards Elle and Jane. Jane appeared to be sobbing her eyes out, and Elle was looking very uncomfortable.

"I'm off Elle. Next time you have to, don't parade my secrets out to perfect strangers, and especially I meant DON'T TELL JANE" His hard expression melted when he saw the look on Elle's face. He hugged her.

"Take good care of yourself little sis! Cya around, Jane"

The last Elle saw of him, was his dimpled smile as he turned to say goodbye before turning that corner.

"Is he gone?" Jane asked, not looking up from where she was sitting, her head in her hands

"Yes" Elle sniffed

"Then let me tell you this, blind little sister. You are gullible, and he is a liar. That guy doesn't love me one little bit, and trust me on this, as I should know. He lied to you, Elle

Elle sat down

"I don't think so.." she started

"Oh please!" Jane interrupted "Trust me on this... how did he tell you he loved me?"

Elle related the conversation she'd held with Jerry

"Well, then, Lizzy. It's obvious why the guy is leaving; and why he'll probably never come back"

Elle leaned back on the cough and exhaled, biting on her lip. She turned so she could see her sister's face properly.

"Jane" she started patiently "Mom is wayyy too old"

Jane sniggered, and looked at Elle

"Do you seriously have no idea? Jerry is your most platonic friend, right? 'You' have certainly had no qualms about your feelings toward him; they were just feelings for someone like a brother. Jerry, on the other hand is completely different. He's going away cos he knows you'll never love him"

Elle always held afterward that it was the heat and - privately - to Jane, Will Darcy in short-sleeves, (that was the only thing that ever made her weak at the knees, she said. In everything else she was STRONG) but everyone else knew that it was just sheer shock.

She fainted clean away.

Will and Charlie came out of the kitchen with such speed at Jane's announcement, that they saw the whole thing.

"Water?" Charlie asked his girlfriend. She smiled kindly and nodded

While his twin was off getting the water, Will picked Elle up and put her on a couch.

After a few minutes, she opened her eyes, and looked straight into Will's concerned blue ones. She sighed audibly, and pulled her hands up so she looked like a saint lying flat out praying

"What are you doing Elle?" Jane asked with amusement in her voice.

"I'm praying the earth opens up and swallows me up"

"For fainting?"

"No, Jane, dear. For fainting in front of Mr. Smarty-Pants Darcy. No offence Charlie"

* * *

Then she fainted again.

She came to a few minutes later in Will's arms.

"Not happening!" she groaned, and then imploringly into his face: "Please tell me I'm dreaming"

Will smiled, and Elle felt like the sun had just come out

"Elle, calm down, I've got you. Is your room this one?" he gestured toward a room with a pink door.

"Yeah" Elle was secretly enjoying lying against his chest "'What happened?"

"You fainted again" Will said, smirking

"Oh, shut up!" Elle said, pleased at his easy camaraderie all the same "Why did I faint. I never faint."

"I took my shirt off" Will joked, and had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud when Elle nodded and closed her eyes again

"That must have been it" she said "Too bad I can't remember"

"Elizabeth!!" Will bit out, trying to keep himself from howling with laughter "Those few words were spoken in jest, my dear!"

If she was discomposed, she showed no sign, and nodded sweetly again, her eyes remaining closed

"So were mine"

He deposited her on her bed, and left the room making her promise not to faint again. [I mean, honestly, some people are just made for each-other, aren't they?]

But Elle didn't sleep, she spent the better part of a couple of hours staring at the ceiling and thinking about Will Darcy.

But Will, that rascal, banished her completely from his thoughts the minute the clock struck five.

That was because, when the clock struck five, he drove straight into the side of a red lorry descending down the sliproad, and everything went black.


End file.
